TRUMP WINS FLORIDA

Donald Trump in Florida. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri Donald Trump is projected to win the crucial battleground state of Florida, giving the Republican presidential nominee a clearer a path to the White House.

The Associated Press and the Decision Desk projected the Republican presidential nominee would win the state.

Over the past several weeks, Trump and Clinton have jostled for the lead in the Sunshine State, whose 29 electoral votes would be a boon for either campaign.

According to the Real Clear Politics average of state polls on Monday, Trump had less than a one-point lead over Clinton, while FiveThirtyEight gave Clinton a 53% chance of winning the state.

The Republican presidential nominee acknowledged the essential role Florida plays in his path to capturing the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

The real-estate magnate has invested his time heavily in Florida, making multiple campaign stops around the Sunshine State over the past several weeks.

Some early voting signs pointed toward a slight advantage for Clinton in Florida. Over 6.4 million voters cast early ballots in the state, a record number that was 1.5 million above the early vote totals in 2012.

"Since Thursday, there has been no day when the electorate has been more than 61% white," former campaign adviser to President Barack Obama Steve Schale, said. "This is the Clinton recipe for winning."